Evolutionary ecology and conservation of the Channel Islands

The research investigates the evolutionary ecology, conservation status, and geographic distribution of diversity within and among the California Chanel Island populations of amphibians, reptiles, and aquatic insects. We will apply genetic techniques to measure connectivity of populations with each island, reveal phylogeographic patterns among island and mainland populations, and estimate effective population sizes and identify recent population bottlenecks for each island population. We will quantify morphological differences among island populations to test for potential local adaptation to environmental variation on different islands. This information can be used to determine whether populations on different islands should be managed as a single or separate units.Investigating genetic and phenotypic processes underlying diversity provides insight into the barriers to gene exchange in natural populations.